NRL Expansion idea

diedpretty

diedpretty

Well-known member
Out of total boredom during the off season i thought i would throw up this idea for discussion. Under the current regular season system i have always thought it unfair that there was not a true home and away system and also the tribal nature of Sydney teams meeting had been lost. To combat both these problems i thought the NRL could be split in to 2 conferences - the Sydney conference comprising 9 Sydney Teams (Canterbury, Souths, Easts, WT, Saints, Parra, Penrith, Cronulla and Manly) and a non Sydney conference comprising Brisbane, GC, NQ, Newcastle, Canberra, NZ, Melbourne and 2 other teams from either Central Coast, WA, 2nd Brisbane, 2nd NZ or PNG..

Each conferenece would play teams in their own conference twice on a home and away basis and play teams from the other conference once with alternating home ground year to year. This would equate to 25 rounds. Teams from out of sydney conference would have to be given extra concessions by NRL to cover extra travelling costs. For TV you get 9 games a week which could include at least 1 Sydney blockbuster each round.

Post season playoffs would still involve 8 teams and can be done 1 of 2 ways - either top 4 teams form each conference playoff in a top 8 series or the regular season game points are just totalled in to one table and the top 8 sides play in the post season as it is now.

I think under this system Sydney crowds would increase dramatically as we would be back to the Sydney tribal thing. There would also be a new us Vs them mentality when Sydney sides play outer Sydney teams. TV ratings would increase with 9 games a week.

Any thoughts and before i'm howled down this was just thrown up for discussion during the usual boring off season.
 
i really like it, good thinking. with the playoffs id prefer ur 2nd idea of points being totalled into one table and top 8 play as it is now. for the 2 expansion teams id want CC Bears and a team based in perth. only problem is that the non sydney conference would obviously complain that they are disadvantaged because of all the extra travel.
 
I appreciate what you are saying about bringing back the tribal component mate but there is one problem. Sydneysiders are no longer a sports mad population. Rugby League used to be Sydneys premier game and it was followed with a passion not unlike how those morons in Melbourne follow afl. But it is clearly on the wane. I dont know if its the artsy crowd, multiculturalism or all the poofs but Sydney really struggles to support this great game.

If I had my way there would actually be 4 Sydney clubs cut from the competition.
 
They really can't reduce the number of games per week Happy. The funding which comes from broadcast rights is only going to accept more games. The smartest thing the OP has going for the concept, it's the fact there will be an additional game each week.

I doubt we will ever see the old home and away season again.
 
@happy tiger said:
14 teams ,home and away games and a top 5 semi finals and Happy would would be in Nirvana
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not a bad option - but it would mean cutting 4 teams not 2 - because realistically as a business enterprise the NRL needs to expand - so which 4 teams would you cut and which 2 would you bring in - or are more mergers on the cards
 
@diedpretty said:
@happy tiger said:
14 teams ,home and away games and a top 5 semi finals and Happy would would be in Nirvana

not a bad option - but it would mean cutting 4 teams not 2 - because realistically as a business enterprise the NRL needs to expand - so which 4 teams would you cut and which 2 would you bring in - or are more mergers on the cards
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Probably a combination of a few things DP I Think the Sharks to WA is a really good fit if we are going to relocate a side

Another team in the Brisbane region whether it be Ipswich , Brisbane or even the Sunshine Coast \North Brisbane side

Penrith to amalgamate with Parra makes sense to me probably not to either fan base but Penrith are in pretty serious trouble

Expansion in some areas is plausible but if we could sucessfully relocate some sides from Sydney that would be a better option imho Maybe even Manly to NZ :smiling_imp:
 
Agree with a few points.
Sharks to Perth plus one more Sydney merge.
I would like to see a central coast team and a second kiwi team, would love to see a png team but I don't see it as a realistic chance.
Queensland could use another team near Brisbane for tv rating there's no denying that.
I'm not sold on the conference idea in league, but I don't have a better idea for you.
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Survival of the fittest, bring in 4 new expansion teams and see who survives, oh didn't this happen in 1995 and we all know that there was no fairytale ending!.
I could go on and on but the teams with the News Ltd funding survived but those that didn't suffered and withered and eventually merged or died, now, when and if News Ltd pull their funding there will be 3 clubs who will have to face reality and compete on a level playing field, can't wait for the end result.
 
@GoldXR50Leroy said:
Survival of the fittest, bring in 4 new expansion teams and see who survives, oh didn't this happen in 1995 and we all know that there was no fairytale ending!.
I could go on and on but the teams with the News Ltd funding survived but those that didn't suffered and withered and eventually merged or died, now, when and if News Ltd pull their funding there will be 3 clubs who will have to face reality and compete on a level playing field, can't wait for the end result.
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I was looking at this purely as a business model that fitted well with what TV wants and kept all current teams in the mix - if i had my way all super league teams would be denied a licence however that aint gonna happen - even the model i put forward has problems ie cronulla - realistically i can't see them surviving much longer as a stand alone club - if tthey or any other sydney team folded i would move a team like central coast or newcastle into the sydney conference and add another expansion team in to the outer sydney conference. On a purely business level i don't think the NRL would reduce the number of teams in the comp - however they may reduce the number of sydney teams.
 
The idea in principle has legs, and I very much like and support it. The problem is, that with every idea there is inherent issues that have to be addressed;

- Will this create more opportunities for the game in the way of sponsorship, advertising and broadcast rights (i.e. value for the outlay.)
- The logistical nightmare of making interstate/overseas teams travel two thirds of the year. This is hardly fair to them;
- Is the talent pool big enough to support another two clubs, especially if the idea of an expanded FG squad is to be floated and considered?

I think after the next TV rights deal and the IC gets off the ground, the NRL has to undergo a period of consolidation and strengthen itself in its current form. Once the 16 current clubs are in a healthy state or the dead wood has been cut, then we can look at expanding the competition.
 
Consolidate thats my opinion, I dont think we have the players for two extra teams to go round, & i think Cronulla & maybe Penrith have problems.
 
I'd love to see the NRL have more of a national feel, rather than having a Sydney comp and an 'everyone else' comp. Bring back Perth. Bring in a couple more teams from Queensland. Bring in another NZ team. Having so many Sydney teams is holding back the potential growth of the comp.

Out of all the Sydney teams, Cronulla and Penrith really seem to make the least sense. Cronulla could be swallowed by the dragons and very few people would be too upset. Penrith are still struggling to make much of an impact in terms of fan support, despite existing for so long and having had some on-field success.

Manly's fan base is pretty small. The only reasons I don't add them to the list are:

1\. There is no other team north of the harbour.

2\. They have had success on the field.

I'd love to see Souths bite the dust. They shouldn't have been allowed back into the comp a decade ago. But I don't see that happening unless Crowe gets sick of losing every year.
 
@Juro said:
I'd love to see the NRL have more of a national feel, rather than having a Sydney comp and an 'everyone else' comp. Bring back Perth. Bring in a couple more teams from Queensland. Bring in another NZ team. Having so many Sydney teams is holding back the potential growth of the comp.

Out of all the Sydney teams, Cronulla and Penrith really seem to make the least sense. Cronulla could be swallowed by the dragons and very few people would be too upset. Penrith are still struggling to make much of an impact in terms of fan support, despite existing for so long and having had some on-field success.

Manly's fan base is pretty small. The only reasons I don't add them to the list are:

1\. There is no other team north of the harbour.

2\. They have had success on the field.

I'd love to see Souths bite the dust. They shouldn't have been allowed back into the comp a decade ago. But I don't see that happening unless Crowe gets sick of losing every year.
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x2 .. pretty much agree with this. i think the nrl would be pushing it up hill big time by trying to get a team playing out of perth even though the timezone difference could be exploited to advantage.

when the new commission finally gets up and running 😛ray: and the tv rights are re-negotiated there has to be a way to have a genuine home and way comp. if it means starting the comp a week or so earlier and / or even having a mid week round, fiddling with soo ( monday night maybe ), sobeit.

when the new tv rights are negotiated and if there are two, preferably three broadcasters, i reckon there should be included in the rights that all the final round games are all played at 3pm on the sunday arvo. the games can be split between the networks and have choice of viewing all games as they are being played, similar as to what happens in the epl each season. imo this has the potential for record crowds and record ratings dependant on how teams are placed as the final round commences.
 
Penrith have such a massive junior competition calls for their demise are crazy! Have a look around not only Australia but overseas and look at the former Penrith Juniors!
 
How long have the Penrith juniors numbers been massive? Why isn't it being translated into attendances and other indicators of support for the Panthers? If these juniors are just supporting other teams, what difference does it make to the juniors numbers if Panthers were given the boot?
 
Unfortunately Penrith are one of those teams when they are not successful the fans will not show up!
With direction from the top of Penrith Panthers hopefully some better community relations can be conducted to win over the fans.
Retention of quality footballers from the area and better management of the team will lead to improved performance on the field and a stronger presence from blacktown to the mountains to keep the AFL Scum out!

Kick them out and the AFL has a foot in the door to steal all the youth from the area. They need to survive for Rugby League!

All good to say get rid of them but they are needed for the game, Souths and Cronulla are not!

If they were to fold rather suddenly, hopefully their skipper would want to play for the tigers.
 
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